Honour or Horror Killing?: Same and Shame

he Indian culture, the culture in Asia at large perhaps is considered – Honour and Shame driven culture. The decisions are made based on enhancing honour and eliminating shame. What is ''right and just' are not the criteria by which evaluations and decisions are made. It is honorable to be rich, but it should be smart. If the person is caught, it is a ‘shame’.

The method by which a person accumulates wealth is a non-entity; only ‘honour’ counts and not the ‘righteousness’ or justice. In most cases, people who were involved in perpetuating the crime, justified their action.

Disturbing Trend

In the last few weeks, many couples and some women were killed to protect the so called ‘honour’ of the family or clan. A journalist is killed for preserving caste purity in Jharkhand. A couple is killed by the girl’s family to save the ‘honour’ of the family in Muzzafarnagar. Similar news reports come from Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and elsewhere.

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This is akin to Middle East courtiers where honour killings have become more frequent.

Landmark Judgment

In a landmark judgment, the district court of Karnal awarded death penalty to the leader of khap (caste body) for pronouncing death penalty to a couple who were married – that violated caste equations. The perpetuators of the horrific death were also punished. But the judge has requested for transfer fearing threat to her life. The clout of these caste leaders is even feared by a district judge. The judge deserves appreciation, recognition and protection from the government.

Dangerous Trend

The former Chief Minister of Haryana Chautala and a Member of Parliament from Kurukshetra has come in favour of Khap caste panchayats that is notorious for issuing fatwa like rulings against individuals and couples in violation to the law of the land. If this is the attitude of politicians, no wonder the bureaucracy fails to act when extra-constitutional gatherings of khap panchayats pass extra-judicial orders.

Truth is Violated

When ‘honor’ is given prominent status in a society, then truth becomes irrelevant. Righteousness and Justice would become a casualty. For example a man can rape or violate the honour of his sister-in-law. But, this truth would bring ‘bad name’ to the family reputation. So, the truth has to be suppressed. In the process, the woman who is a victim is suppressed and oppressed. This kind of exploitation of women goes on with impunity in several families, because of the culture that is worried about ‘honour’ of the family. For the sake of honour of the family, women undergo immense suffering.

That means, in ‘honour killing’ the real victim is the ‘truth’. The truth is - ‘love’ is not the criteria for marriage; nor the individual choices; but the combination of factors like caste along with class, education, etc. “Forced marriage” is applauded in the name of “arranged marriage”. A girl or boy is forced to deny the truth that he/she is in love with somebody, and accept the dictates of hierarchical social structures that begins with family and extends to clan and caste.

Individual Freedom is Violated

An adult individual does not have the freedom to choose his/her own spouse. In a country, where 18 year old individuals have freedom to vote in democratic election and choose the Government; they are threatened if they choose their own life partner. A greater responsibility of choosing the Government is provided, while choice of spouse is denied by the family and caste.

The choice of spouse is considered in traditional ways. It is not the compatibility between two individuals that decides the issue, but the cost-benefit ratio of the alliance between two families clinches the issue. Does this alliance enhance the social status of the families? Will it multiply the assets and create more wealth as economic alliance? With these considerations the needs, aspirations, desires and expectations of individuals are sacrificed by the elders in the family, which become burdensome for the couple throughout their lives.

Law of Land is Violated

A group of individuals gather as Kangaroo court and order killings of couples who defy the anarchic social traditions and get married. Taking life of individuals is murder. Only the State has the judicial power to give capital punishment and even that in the ‘rarest of rare’ cases. And there is checks and balances in the process. The accused individual has the right to have a lawyer to plead the case and present his/her side of the story. But, these unauthorized courts pass on judgement without proper judicial process. The judgements are just whims and fancies of few individuals who have crooked minds. It is not based on evidence or justice or truth, but on presumptions, imaginations and vague interpretations. Also they force or compel the victim’s family members to execute the ruthless and cruel punishments. The Law of the land is violated with impunity.

Law of Humanitarian Values Violated

Each individual is sacred. The Kangaroo court proclaims punishment on people who have been married. The marriage is an act of love and there is no violence. However, the pseudo courts declare violence on them. Their ‘right to live’ is challenged. Every individual has the right to live in this world. This human right is grossly violated.

Law of Human Values Violated

A person who weds because of love is demonized. At the same time a person who pursues violence and kills the individual in honour killing is ‘deified’. A ‘marriage’ is declared ‘immoral’ and ‘murder’ is exalted. That shows the corrupted thinking of these so called ‘custodians’ of tradition and culture.

Civil Society Should Act

The civil society should act and get rid of wrapped ideas or blind traditions of our time. This can happen only by using multi-pronged strategies.

1. There is a need for mass awareness. It should be done by wide publicity like AIDS awareness campaign in vernacular languages. It should reach the nook and corner of the country. 2. The schools should play an important role of teaching young minds about human values.3. The Government should ban such unlawful gatherings and arrest the perpetuators of such mindless violence. 4. The political parties that swear by the Constitution of India, has no right to support unconstitutional khap pancha- yats. The recognition of such political parties should be withdrawn immediately.5. The politicians who support should automatically lose their membership as they had violated the sacred oath they had taken to protect the Constitution.6. The media should play a positive role in bringing this change.